Applying Patient Payments towards the Encounter Balance

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Creating an Unapplied Credit Amount

An unapplied credit/amount is created when the amount in the Payment field is greater than what has been applied in the transaction detail for a patient-pay transaction. You can create an unapplied credit/amount at the encounter level or account level. Create an Unapplied Credit Amount Applying Encounter Unapplied Credits in a Batch You can process unapplied encounter credits in a batch on the Unapplied Encounter Credits window. Create an Unapplied Credit Amount at the Account Level Use a Co-payment as an Unapplied Encounter Credit Create a Credit Balance with an Unapplied Account Credit Deleting an Unapplied Payment/Credit Transfer an Unapplied Encounter Credit to an Account Parent topic: Applying Credits

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Apply an Encounter Unapplied Credit during Charge Posting

Before applying an encounter-level unapplied credit during charge posting, you must set an active batch. You can enter the offsetting system adjustment transactions in the active batch. You can view the transactions in the Transaction Ledger window. Open NextGen® Enterprise PM. Select Posting. The Batch Posting window opens. Right-click the selected batch, and then select Open. The Payment Entry window opens. Enter a patient payment on the encounter, and then select Save. Select Encounter. An encounter-level unapplied credit is created, and you can view the patient payment in the Transaction Ledger. Open the Charge Posting window during check-out for the same encounter. A message appears stating that Unapplied Payments: Encounter [n] has a [$n.nn] credit available. Close the message. Enter the first charge on the encounter and then select Next or Save. A confirmation message appears to utilize the [$-n.nn] encounter credit on the charge. To apply the unapplied credit to the first charg

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Applying Credits

Working with credits, handling accounts receivables, the ability to properly account for all outstanding balances, entering monies received, appropriate adjusting and or transferring of monies can be one of the more challenging functions of your practice. Understanding how NextGen® Enterprise PM handles unapplied credits that are not associated to charges, that is, prepayment for surgery or co-pay paid in advance of the service being entered, is a component of A/R that is critical to reporting. In NextGen® Enterprise PM, you can accept and post money in advance of services being provided and apply the funds to either an account (person or employer) or an encounter. In addition, you can transfer funds from an encounter to an account as well as from an account to a line item on an encounter. In NextGen® Enterprise PM, you can define for your practice how unapplied credits and debits are tracked and reported. You can define these transactions as either adjustments or payments. Before you

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Statements for Accounts with a Zero or Credit Patient Balance

Statements do not generate for accounts that have a zero patient balance, a negative (credit) patient balance, or a patient balance that falls outside of the Account Statement Amount Range specified on the Statement Options window. In versions prior to 5.9.1, when the Show Only Encounters with a Patient Balance check box is selected on the Statement Options window, the logic to suppress statements for accounts with a balance less than the minimum statement amount. The total encounter patient balance, for those encounters included on the statement, is compared to the minimum amount. As of version 5.9.1, when the Show Only Encounters with a Patient Balance check box is selected, the logic to suppress statements for accounts with a balance less than the minimum statement amount. The total account patient balance is compared to the minimum amount. Parent topic: Exporting Statements

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Create an Unapplied Credit Amount

When a patient has an encounter scheduled and their insurance requires a $15 co-payment, and they want to pay in advance towards that encounter and any future charges, you can go ahead, prior to charges being entered, credit this patient with a payment. On the Payment Entry window, in the Payer field, select Patient. In the Pay Amt field, enter the $15 payment and select Save. A message appears notifying you that an unapplied credit amount will be created. This message indicates that no current charges are applied to the encounter. Apply the unapplied credit amount to either the encounter or the account. In this scenario the best option is to apply the unapplied credit amount to the encounter. The credit can then be used against charges that are applied to the encounter at a later date. The credit can also be transferred to the account level, if necessary, even after it is applied to the encounter level. Parent topic: Creating an Unapplied Credit Amount

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Use a Co-payment as an Unapplied Encounter Credit

An unapplied credit is never associated directly to a charge. The unapplied credit can be applied to an adjustment or a payment. Create an encounter and in the Payment Entry window, enter a co-pay amount of $10.00. Apply the payment to the encounter. Enter the charges for the encounter. Select the Use Encounter Credit check box. The application creates an adjustment of $10 with the adjustment code of Applied Encounter/Invoice Credit. Note: After you select the Use Encounter Credit check box, the Adj Code field automatically displays a system-generated transaction code and it cannot be changed. This prevents balancing problems because the transaction code offsets the original transaction code. The application creates another transaction of negative $10 with a transaction code of Applied Encounter/Invoice Debit and a tracking description of Debit to Encounter for Usage of a Credit Balance. The adjustment code populates from the codes selected on the Transactions tab of the Practice Prefe

Applying Patient Payments towards the Encounter Balance

Recommendations

Creating an Unapplied Credit Amount

Apply an Encounter Unapplied Credit during Charge Posting

Applying Credits

Statements for Accounts with a Zero or Credit Patient Balance

Create an Unapplied Credit Amount

Use a Co-payment as an Unapplied Encounter Credit

Creating an Unapplied Credit Amount

Apply an Encounter Unapplied Credit during Charge Posting

Applying Credits

Statements for Accounts with a Zero or Credit Patient Balance

Create an Unapplied Credit Amount

Use a Co-payment as an Unapplied Encounter Credit